Frank ruprecht



(Nomoael.) l

F. RUPRECHT. MINNOW PAIL.

No. 506,017. Patented 001;. 3, 1893.

ATTORNEY WITNEssEs; A ld-3 INVENTO:

f5 i A ,KMW

UNTTED STATES PATENT @Urraca FRANKuRUPREOHT, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO IRA D. ABRAMS, OF SAME PLACE.

MlNNOW-PAIL..

SPECIFICATION formi-ng part of Letters Patent No. 506,017, dated October3, 1893.

Application filed April 1'7, 1893. Serial No. 470,621. (No model.) i

` which the following, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the class of minnow oranalogous bait-pailswhich are designed to be dragged through the Water by the boat propelledby the fisherman or his assistant.

The object of the invention is to maintain the pail in an uprightposition while dragged through the water as aforesaid and also toprotect the minnows from the agitation of the water produced by theoperation of the oars propelling the boat. And to that end the inventionconsists in the novel construction of the minnow or bait-pail ashereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the annexed drawings Figure l is a side view of a minnow-pailembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, and Fig.3 is a vertical transverse section on line fr, 0c, in Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Minnow pails of the aforesaid class have hitherto been formedcylindrical and of wire netting extending completelyaround the mainportion or body of the cylinder. Experience in the use of such pails hasproven that in dragging them in the water atthe side or rear of the boatpropelled by an oarsman the pail is frequently upset and thel minnowsdashed about in the pail and thus killed by the agitation of the waterproduced by the oars.

This invention is designed to obviate such accidents, and for thatpurpose I construct the pail with the solid vertical front walls -b-b*converging to a vertical cut-water line at the center of the front andthus provide the pail with a tapering bow -C- as more clearlyillustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This solid walled bow servesseveral purposes, viz: to steady the pail and maintain it in uprightposition while dragged through the water, to allow it to be drawn alongin the Water more easily and to shield the minnows from the agitation ofthe Water, said shield causing the water at the rear thereof to remaincomparatively tranquil, and in this .tranquil water the minnowsfindrefuge from the disturbance of the water produced by the oarspropelling the boat.

The sides -c-' and rear portion -c I provide with the necessarywater-inlets to allow the water to circulate through the pail, 6oV

and for that purpose I preferably form said portions of the pail of theusual wire-netting, and inasmuch as the minnow pail has to be set into awater-pail or other water-receptacle when fishing from the shore, I formthe bottom of the pail also of wire netting or a suitable perforatedsheet. The top portion of the pail is formed with an air chamber 0,- tofloat the pail when dragged in the water as aforesaid. Verticallythrough this air- 7o chamber is formed a vpassage -dthrough which tointroduce and remove the minnows. The top of this passage is providedwith a lid -Z-, the top of which is either perforated or formed ofWire-netting to permit circulation 7 q crabs or other bait separate fromthe lninnows. It is removable from the passage -dand may be supportedtherein either by a wire band f extending around the top edge of thebasket and fastened thereto and ,seated upon another wire or suitableledge -i- 9o fastened to the interior of the passage -das shown in Fig.3 of the drawings, or by other suitable means.

f-frepresent light chains attached to the front or bow of the pail andunited to a swivel -gfor the attachment of the line by which the pail isto be dragged through the water.

h-hdenote rings attached to the top of the pail to afford means forlifting the pail Ioo out of the water pail.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. The improved minnow-pail composed of the ar-chamber-a, forming thetop-portion 5 of the pail, the solid front plate ZJ- extending down fromthe air-chamber and forming a shielding recess for protecting theminnows, and the side and rear walls -cand cformed of wire netting, theinterior of the pail 1o proper being devoid of obstructions to permitthe minnows to freely swim about and to enter the shielding recess inthe front as set forth.

2. A minnow-pail composed of the air-cham ber -a, solid vertical frontWalls -b-bconverging to a vertical cut water line at the center of thefront, side and rear portion -c cof wire-netting, the vertical passage-d through its top, the basket -ehung in said passage, and the lid -Z-over the passage, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 13th day ofApril, 1893.

FRANK RUPRECHT. [1.. s.]

Witnesses:

J. J. LAAss, C. L. BENDIXON.

